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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » parasitic Apocrita » Platygastroidea » Platygastridae
Photo#84539
Tiny Flying Critter
Copyright © 2006 Stephen Cresswell

Tiny Flying Critter
Near Ruraldale, Upshur County, West Virginia, USA
September 22, 2006
Size: 0.8 mm
At 0.8 mm this is definitely one of the smaller insects I have photographed. I am thinking it is a wasp, though I haven't ruled out diptera. While the photo on the right is a little clearer for most purposes, the one on the left shows the eyes a little better. ID help appreciated.
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Contributed by Stephen Cresswell on 24 October, 2006 - 8:14am
Last updated 26 October, 2006 - 3:39am

Platygasteridae
I can't see the discriminating features, but it is definitely a proctotrupoid. The way the wings are so narrow at the base and cross over to the large, evenly rounded wing apices is entirely typical of platygasterids.
… Donald S. Chandler, 25 October, 2006 - 6:33pm login or register to post comments

 
Thank-you
Thank-you Don! I appreciate the ID and have moved the image to the family page for Platygasteridae. Looking at some Internet sources just now I see genus Platygaster is hump-backed; wonder if mine was. At this size I can't imagine trying to get a profile shot.

At this size, in fact, I think we're at the point where you would want to lay macro lens and teleconverter aside and move to the microscope.

Thanks again for the ID help!
… Stephen Cresswell, 26 October, 2006 - 3:49am login or register to post comments

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